Mid-1970s Yamaha SL-1200 — Early Studio Lord Series

This instrument dates from the mid-1970s, when Yamaha first began producing copy models.
The SL (Studio Lord) series was Yamaha’s line of Les Paul replicas,
and the SL-1200 sat proudly at the very top of that lineup.

There were two distinct generations of the SL series:
the early series, which began in the mid-1970s,
and the later series, which appeared around 1980.
Their specifications differ in several fundamental ways.

The early models feature laminated (pancake-style) mahogany backs and lacquer finishes,
whereas the later models have solid backs and polyurethane finishes.
Neck materials also varied depending on the specific model,
but these structural and finish differences clearly distinguish the two generations.

One easy way to tell them apart is from the model code:
if the model number ends with an “S” or “C”,
it belongs to the later series.
In that later lineup, the highest-end model was the SL-800S,
and the earlier SL-1200/1000 lineage had already been discontinued.

The body of this early SL-1200 is a three-layer laminated construction,
with a two-piece hard maple top, mahogany neck, and an ebony fingerboard
decorated with mother-of-pearl position inlays.
The pickups from this era did not yet have specific model designations.

Weight: 4.49 kg (including strings)
(Updated August 28, 2016)